Squad news

PREVIEW: DEPORTIVO – CASTILLA (LIGA)

03 Nov 2013Fernando Vázquez switches again the draw as Depor search to improve its poor record playing at the Riazor. Marchena & Teles will be starters. The rival is one of the three teams on this century that had only added 4 points after the first11 matches.

STATISTICS: AMONG THE WORST TEAM IN THE 2000’S
This is the third opportunity during this century in which a Segunda team has only added four points after the first eleven matchdays. Real Madrid Castilla have only added one win and a draw, same mark of Córdoba CF during the season 2004/05, while Gimnástic Tarragona had only clinched four draws after the first 11 matchdays during the campaign 2011/12. In both previous cases the clubs suffered the relegation, which invites to think that this is going to be a negative season for the B squad of Real Madrid.

Neither Depor can celebrate too much after seeing its performance at home, Los Blanquiazules are the second worst local team in the league –Castilla is the worst- with only five points added playing in this condition. The worrying thing is that the Galicians have only scored two goals in the period, which represent the worst mark in the history of the club during a liga start.

At least they’re facing the only Segunda outfit that haven’t added yet any point playing on the road, actually the Madrilenians have only scored a goal playing in this condition. So, the worst local team in terms of goals scored is facing the worst visiting team in the same department.

Historically Castilla have a positive record facing Deportivo, because they clinched nine wins against eight for the Galicians during a Segunda competition, actually the Madrilenians represent the last B squad that defeated Depor playing at the Riazor: 0-1 on the season 1989/90 with a goal scored by Pachi.

DEPORTIVO: STRENGTHENING THE RIAZOR
Depor is the tenth worst local team among the 122 clubs that compete at Primera, Segunda or Segunda División B. The Galicians have only added four points after five league matches played at the Riazor. It means five of fifteen possible points. A mark only above the ones of Real Madrid Castilla (4), Getafe B (4), Peña Sport (4), Granada CF (3), RC Celta (3) CD Sariñena (3), UD Almeria (2), Prat (2) & Córdoba B (1).

The difference is that those nine clubs are currently struggling to survive at their leagues, while Deportivo is sixth at the Segunda standings. The dream of promotion still alive, but this is only possible thanks to the away record. And coach Fernando Vázquez and his players are pretty aware that the only way to keep the aspirations for the rest of the season is to improve the home results.

Midfielder Juan Dominguez commented the issue during the week, ”There’s no anxiety to clinch the results at home, but we are eager to add the victory. It cannot escape from us again. In the past home games we offered what we could and the results were unfair. What we can offer to the fan is to give our best work, concentration and sacrifice. We hope that, this Sunday, for the fans and us, we are going to add these three points that we deserve.”

The main problem has been the incapacity to score the goals, and it’s that Depor has only netted two goals in five matches played at the Riazor. Vázquez has been testing several solutions in order to improve the offensive capacity of his team, mainly switching the system in order to find the one that suits his players. And for the game against Castilla he has prepared a new switch, which is to play with a 4-3-2-1 scheme, a pyramidal figure that rest power on the sides, but that adds passing skills at the centre.

The main novelty is the presence of Paulo Teles at the starting formation. The 20-year-old playmaker already debuted in liga and Copa Del Rey, but this is his first appearance as a starter at Liga Adelante. The Portuguese had a discrete performance in midweek with Depor B, but will join Juan Dominguez and Álex Bergantiños at midfield, the latter is returning to his normal position after Cezary Wilk was ruled out due to a knock.

The goal of this pyramidal figure is to provide of more aids to Juan Culio and Rudy, a duo that will perform in the line of playmakers and that often has problems to extend the game to the sides. Then Borja Bastón performs as the central attacker.

At defense there’s one big novelty: the appearance of Carlos Marchena for the first time as a starter. He will join Pablo Insua at the central positions. There’s another modification at defense as Luisinho returns from suspension in order to perform at the left side, Laure continues to play at the right, while German Lux is the starting goalie.

Together with Teles, the other player from Depor B that’s part of the list for the game is Bicho. After the negative comments in midweek coming from the coach, playmaker Juan Carlos Real was left out of the game due to tactical reasons, while the two players joining Wilk at the injury room are Javier Arizmendi and Álvaro Lemos.

Another of the problems of Depor is the problems to defend the set-pieces, Insua commented the issue during the week, ”We are a little upset, because the major part of the goals are coming in set-pieces and are deciding the games. We need to improve in these kinds of plays. Besides the goals, the rivals are not having too many opportunities. We need more concentration.”

Meanwhile, Álex Bergantiños was warning that Deportivo must be alert as the league is long and complicated, ”We need to be alert all the time, to look little by little in each matchday, because Segunda División is eternal and we need to remain closer to the first places, this since the equality is maximal.”

Finally, Rudy commented that, “We must win at home, that’s for sure. We need to improve in attack. The team is trying to find a balance and we have a good thing: we defend pretty well despite some problems like the set-pieces. We are getting the points on the road and at home we need to get the points. As soon as we find the balance we are going to be better, because this team has a huge progression margin.”

CASTILLA: A TEAM UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The B teams are always difficult to handle, the usual large list of exits and arrivals at the beginning of the seasons create a volatile environment that can cause problems in a league tournament, and the situation is worse when the team is competing in a demanding league like Segunda A. And if that team suffers the exits of its best players then it turns to be an earthquake. That’s exactly what’s happening to Real Madrid Castilla.

Coach Alberto Toril made a great job within the last two seasons, but for the present campaign he hasn’t find the right answers to the departures of Russian centre-back Denís Chéryshev, playmaker Pedro Mosquera, plus attackers Jesé Rodriguez and Álvaro Morata. This was the skeleton on last season, mainly Jesé, who netted 22 goals in the league tournament.

Some interesting players arrived, like Peruvian international midfielder Cristian Benavente, but it wasn’t enough to cover the spots, and considering the youthness of the group [3 players at the age of 24, the rest is a U-22 squad] it isn’t a surprise to witness the poor start in league. In this way it is possible to say that this is a team under construction.

Toril needs time before his team is settled, but he’s running out of it as after only eleven games his team is now eleven points under the safety. The good thing is that he seems to have found a formation after the 2-0 win over CD Lugo. At the beginning the coach was using a 4-2-3-1 formation, but within the last three games he switched into a 4-4-2 as his team needed the goals. The latter is the expected draw at the Riazor.

Fernando Pacheco is the starting goalkeeper, Diego Llorente performs at the right side of the defense, Jorge Casado, their player with more experience in the league (50 games at Segunda), covers the left, while the centre-backs are Uruguayan Leandro Cabrera and Jorge Pulido.

Omar Mascarell and Peruvian Benavente are the centre midfielders, then captain Lucas Vázquez attacks from the right wing, while Jaime Romero does the same from the left, finally Jorge Franco Alviz ‘Burgui’ performs as second striker behind Raúl de Tomás.

Badajoz-born Burgui is another of the talents to follow; the playmaker/striker scored the goal in the last 1-1 draw against SD Ponferradina and has netted twice on this season. The other player with two goals at the team is Canarian midfielder Omar Mascarell González.

Left-back Joaquín Marín ‘Quini’ recovered in time from a stress fracture and was included in the trip to A Coruña, though he will start on the bench. But striker Kiko Femenía and playmaker Borja García were left out due to a muscle problem. Another important casualty is centre-back Derik Osede, who is out with a hernia problem

Captain Lucas Vázquez talked before the game, ”We must try to add the points in all the visits and if we do the right things then we can achieve that. Now we face a historic rival, a team that has spent almost its entire life at Primera. It’s a pretty game and it has been hard for them to win at home, so we must travel there with hope.”